This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in the types of labels that are placed within molds in which containers and the like are to be blow molded, and more particularly, to an in-mold label having an integral peelable coupon, and in-mold labeling method and system for blow molds which are formed of two halves, and which open for the discharge of a container and the insertion of the labels having integral peelable coupons.
In-mold labeling systems for blow molds of the split half type in which the blow molds rotate in a circular pattern and open radially are commercially available. Such blow mold labeling systems are fixed on the carriage of the machine frame and when the blow molds are opened and immediately after the discharge of a blow molded article therefrom, label applicators are moved transversely into the path of the rotating blow molds for placing labels into one or both of the mold halves.
Various types of in-mold labeling systems are known in the art. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,208 to Dronzek and U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,149 generally relates to a process for the production of printed in-mold labeled molded containers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,646 to Baudin generally relates to a container and method of making a container that has a decorative label. U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,986 to Foulkes generally relates to an in-mold labeling system that uses film. U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,498 to Weber et al. generally relates to an apparatus for applying labels to blow-molded articles. U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,208 to Kinoshita et al. generally relates to a method for xe2x80x9cin-moldxe2x80x9d molding using a label.
However, all of the art methods and systems have a significant drawback in that they do not provide for the economical in-mold affixation of labels having peelable coupons integral therewith in a blow molded process.
It is an object of the invention to solve this and other problems in the art by providing a method of making a label having an integral peelable coupon, a method of manufacturing an in-mold blow molded bottle having an integral peelable coupon applied in-mold, and an in-mold container having a label with an integral peelable coupon.
The present invention provides a method of making a label having an integral peelable coupon. The method includes the steps of applying a topcoat to a face of stock to obtain topcoated stock; curing the topcoated stock; webbing the topcoated stock through a press; printing on the topcoated stock; applying pressure sensitive laminating adhesive to the topcoated stock to obtain adhesive coated stock; curing the adhesive coated stock; nipping the adhesive coated stock to a base web to obtain a pre-finished base web; printing on the pre-finished base web; and, top coating the pre-finished base web with a topcoat to obtain a peelable coupon base web.
The label having an integral peelable label is used in an in-mold method of manufacturing a blow-molded bottle having an in-mold label with an integral peelable coupon. The method of manufacturing the in-mold bottle includes the steps of providing a parison; opening a mold having a cavity; picking at least one label having an integral peelable coupon thereon from a magazine; placing the label in the cavity; optionally retaining the label in a predetermined position with a vacuum; closing the mold on the parison; blowing the parison into the mold to create a container; bonding the label to the container in-mold to create a peelable coupon container; and, opening the mold to release the peelable coupon container.
It is an object of the present invention also to provide an in-mold container having a label with an integral peelable coupon. In one variant, the label with an integral peelable coupon includes a printed, cured, topcoated stock layer. The topcoated stock layer has a cured, pressure sensitive, laminating, adhesive layer. The cured, pressure sensitive, laminating, adhesive layer is peelably connected to a base web. The base web has printing thereon and is optionally coated with a topcoat.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an in-mold container having a label with a printed, cured topcoated stock layer that includes a plurality of topcoats on a face of the stock layer. In a variant, the plurality of topcoats includes two topcoats. The two layers split leaving one layer on the face and leaving the other layer to deaden the pressure sensitive laminating adhesive layer. In another variant of the invention, the topcoat is a UV topcoat. The stock layer can be a Yupo(trademark) in mold label (xe2x80x9cIMLxe2x80x9d) label or other label web. In another variant of the invention, the base web includes a UV pressure sensitive laminating adhesive, which may include a 15900(trademark) UV pressure sensitive laminating adhesive. In another variant of the invention, the UV pressure sensitive laminating adhesive layer includes a tacky UV pressure sensitive adhesive.
In yet another variant, the invention provides a method of advertising using in-mold containers that consists of applying the label having an integral peelable coupon to the in-mold containers.
The objects and features of the present invention, other than those specifically disclosed herein, will become more apparent in the detailed description of the invention and drawings set forth below.